Shaman's Crossing (The Soldier Son Trilogy #1)

“Caulder lies about a great many things,” the doctor observed, as if that shouldn’t surprise me. “Can you get yourself undressed and into bed, Cadet? Or do you need help?”

I groped at my chest, surprised to find that I was still dressed. When I began to fumble at my buttons, the doctor nodded as if satisfied. I heard someone gag and then begin to retch again. It sounded close by. The doctor scowled and spoke sternly, and this time I realized he had an assistant standing at his elbow. “And there’s another one. I want this whole floor quarantined. No. I want the entire hall quarantined. Go downstairs immediately and tell Sergeant Rufet to post a yellow flag by the door. No one comes in or out.”

I think the assistant was happy to leave judging by how quickly he fled. I sat up to take off my boots and the room spun around me. Nate and Kort were both lying on their bunks. Nate was hanging, head down, over the edge of his mattress, retching into a basin on the floor. Kort was motionless. A frightened-looking Spink was standing near the window, his arms crossed on his chest. Doggedly, I went to work at getting my shirt off my arms.

“Dr. Amicas! What are you doing here? I sent for you an hour ago!”

I flinched at Colonel Stiet’s voice. As he advanced into the room, his boot heels clacking on our floor, I wondered if it was all a dream. The colonel looked both distraught and furious. His face was red with exertion. Plainly he had hurried up the stairs. The doctor spoke flatly. “Colonel, remove yourself immediately from this building, or risk being quarantined here with me and these cadets. We’ve a grave situation here, one that I will not approach with half-measures. All of Old Thares is at risk.”

“I’ve a grave situation of my own, Doctor. Caulder is ill, seriously ill. I sent my first messenger for you more than an hour ago. He came back to say only that you were ‘busy.’ When I came to the infirmary to fetch you myself, they told me you were at Carneston House. I find you up here, mollycoddling hungover cadets while my boy burns with fever. That is not acceptable, sir. Not acceptable at all!”

“Fever! Damnation! I’m too late then. Unless…” The doctor paused, and knit his brow. I managed to get my shirt off. I let it fall to the floor beside my boots. I went to work on my belt.

“I want you to come to my son’s bedside immediately. That is an order.” Colonel Stiet’s voice shook with passion.

“I want the Academy quarantined.” The doctor spoke as if he had pondered all his options and reached a decision. I do not think he had even heard the colonel’s words. “It is essential, sir. Essential. I fear that what we have here is the first outbreak of the Speck plague to reach the west. It matches every symptom I saw in Fort Gettys two years ago. If we’re lucky, we can stop it here before it spreads to the whole city.”

“Speck plague? It can’t be. There’s never been a case of the Speck plague this far west.” The colonel was shocked; the hard tone of command had gone out of his voice.

“And now there is.” The doctor spoke with angry resignation.

I spoke without thinking. My own voice seemed to come from a great distance. “There were Specks there last night. At Dark Evening. In the freak tent. They did the Dust Dance.”

“Specks?” the colonel exclaimed, appalled. “Here? In Old Thares?”

The doctor spoke over him, demanding of me, “Were they ill? Sickly at all?”

I shook my head. The room was swaying slowly around me. “They danced,” I said. “They danced. The woman was beautiful.” I tried to lean back slowly into my bed. Instead the room spun suddenly, and I fell. Darkness closed in around me.

CHAPTER 23

Plague

My memories of those days are distorted, like images seen through a badly ground magnifying lens. Faces came too close, sound was shocking, and light pierced my eyes. I didn’t recognize the room. There was a window opposite my bed and bright winter light shone directly in my face. There were other beds in the room, and all of them were occupied. I heard coughing, retching, and feverish moaning. My own life had vanished. I did not know where I was.

“Please. Pay attention.”

There was an orderly by my bed with an open notebook in his hand. His pencil was poised over it. “Concentrate, Cadet. The doctor demands that every patient answer these questions, no matter what condition he is in. It may be the last important thing you can do with your life. Did you touch a Speck?”

I didn’t care. I just wanted him to go away. Nevertheless, I tried. “They threw dust at us. Right at us.”